Memorandum-file.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER L. SMITH, OF OHIOAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY DATE, OF

' AUSTIN, ILLINOIS.

MEMORANDUM-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 631,338, dated August 22, 1899.

Application filed September 12, 1898. Serial No. 690,813. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER L. SMITH, a citi= zen of the United States, and a resident of Ohicago,county of Oook,and State of Illinois,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Memoranda-Files, of which the following is a specification, and which are fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

[0 My invention relates to that class of files adapted particularly for use in connection with literary work and intended for the re ception of memoranda, clippings, &c., and comprising receptacles, substantially in book form, designed to be stored upon shelving side by side. I

The object of the invention is to provide an improved form for such receptacles to facilitate their removal from the shelving. This object is attained in the construction and arrangement of parts as fully hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-a Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of a sec- :2 5 tion of shelving, showing a plurality of receptacles arranged thereupon. Fig. 2 is a plan section of the shelving, showing a plan view of the receptacles; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a single receptacle, showing a preferred form of construction. g

A section of the cabinet, comprising uprights and horizontal shelves, is shown at X. The receptacles L each simulates in appearance a book and isapproximately oblong rectangular in form, the length being greater than its height and its thickness being its smallest dimension. These receptacles are intended to stand upon one of their thinner sides, which constitutes the bottom, upon the shelf of the cabinet and to be arranged side by side. The exposed end a of the receptacle is rounded, taking the general appearance of the back of a book, andits inner end B is slightly wider than its outer end a, so that when the shelf is completely filled with such receptacles their inner ends B are in contact and their outer ends are slightly spaced apart, so that the user may easily insert his fingers between them for the purpose of grasping a receptacle to remove it from itsplace upon the shelf, this action being facilitated by the lateral movement of the remaining receptacles. The close contact of the inner ends of the receptacles causes them to maintain an upright position, giving the files as a whole a neat appearance.

I prefer to make the receptacles L of stout paper, such as manila, using only a single piece or sheet for each receptacle. The sheet is folded or doubled upon itself so as to form the two sides a d and bottom 6 of the receptacle. One of the sides, as c, is provided with an end flap g, of greater width than the intended width of the receptacle, so that its outer edge 72. may be inturned for engagement with the other side d. The side 01 is provided with a still longer end flap, which may be bent to form the rounded end a of the receptacle and then folded inwardly, as shown at i, and secured to the cross member 9 of the end flap of the side 0. The end B of the receptacle is closed in any preferred manner, as by providing one side with a flap, as b, to reach across and be secured to the other side, as shown at f. I

I do not limit myself to the details of construction of the receptacles, as any construction in which the exposed end is of less thickness than the inner end in horizontal plane would come within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a cabinet having upright walls and horizontal shelves, of a pinrality of file-cases fitted to such shelves, the thickness of each casein horizontal plane be- 8 5 ing less at its cuter than at its inner end.

WALTER L. SMITH.

Witnesses: 7 HENRY DATE, LOUIS K. GILLSON. 

